… welcomes us with very hot, humid weather.
We dock at Frihamnen 4 km outside of the city.
Information regarding transport options: Taxi: 20 €, underground station „Gärdet“.
Bus numbers 1, 72 or 76. Follow the blue line to Ticketbooth (CC) (here: 1, 55, 72, 76, 91) The public transport can be explored via an app SL APP, here you can also buy the tickets after depositing the CC data. Single ticket (E44 / K30 = 4,5 € / 3 €); Booth: Day Ticket 125 SEK (12 €); 85 SEK (8,25 €).
Like in CPH we buy the tickets for the shuttle bus (13.90 €) directly with the concierge.
In the other „experiences“ (cabin classes) the tickets are left on the bad in the evening and are bought / activated by signing them.
A butler is just about to escort a family to the exit, so we just join in.
The terminal is a lot more busy here than at CPH, so we have to fight through the crowds to get to our bus. Understandably, we get some wicked eye because the butler is pushing us to the top of the line.
The bus fills up quickly and lets us off in front of the opera (marked in yellow) after 20 minutes.
We stroll through the magical old town. There are the most beautiful jewelry shops and fashion boutiques here. We are surprised that prices are relatively low. So some souvenirs are bought.
In the run-up I had read some interesting facts I wanted to amuse our teens with: for example, that the castle Tre Kronor burned down in 1697 and the only fatality victim died because of a heavy bible thrown out of the window onto the poor fellow.
Or that Alfred Nobel invented the stabilization for nitroglycerin, or that only 49 women won the Nobel Prize (but 825 !!! men) – but I quickly realize that I might as well tell my stories to someone who cares (if I manage to find him).
We explore the palace * Riksdagshuset, and the oldest church in Stockholm (* Storkyrkan) which is over 500 years old. What the girls are particularly interested in is the cool (pun intended) ice bar in the Icehotel (Vasaplan 4).
Everything is made of ice here: The Walls, the chairs, even the glasses.
For just 30 € we get a cocktail at -5 ° C, we sit on ice chairs and ice ships and enjoy the colorful lightshow.
Given the outside temperature of 30 °C this is really refreshing 🙂
We are lucky having arrived before the load of tourbusses and have the space almost to ourselves because as we leave we meet 30-40 people who are just in the process of „dressing up“ with the provided ponchos and gloves.
We are tired enough to take the shuttle back to the ship. Quite by accident, the Royal Guard marches past us just in front of our shuttle drop-off point
Given the heat, the poor guards have to sweat terribly.
As a Black Card member you can enjoy a free dinner (for 2) in a specialty restaurant. The conditions are currently being revised and it is not entirely certain if 2 black cards in the cabin will mean – a dinner for 4 or – 2 dinners for 2 or just – 1 dinner for 2. The specifications on the MSC side limit it as follows:
1 dinner for 2, each member only once. (Free Dinner in Specialty Restaurant (no drinks) per cabin (once per cruise)
We had the constellation 2 black cards in a cabin and wanted to dine with our friends (not members), so we figured we would pay for 2 dinners.
Fortunately that was not the case and we were allowed to invite our friends. I am not certain why this was the case though!
The food was unfortunately not really made for sushi NewBes. So I do not comment on whether we liked it. The service was very good, the attendance poor.
Of course you can also opt to eat à la carte:
As usual, we end the evening with a tea and a card game in the TopSail Lounge.
Meanwhile, we have chosen our favorite waiter.
He knows our favorite drinks, always welcomes us in a very friendly manner and is overall a real gem.
His name is Adi Sucipta I Wayan and he seems to work non stop.
We meet him not only here in the TSL but often at the One Pool at noon or in the afternoon. What makes him special are situations like this: I have taken a small dessert bowl from the great TSL buffet and am looking at the cutlery display because I cannot find a spoon.
Out of nowhere, our „Mr. Perfect“ (that’s how the girls baptized him) shows up and hands me the spoon I was looking for.
That is what I call great service!
Tallin
Kreuzfahrten 